Homogenizer.



J". WILLMANN.

I HOMOGENIZER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21, 1912. 1,070,218.

Patented Aug. 12, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

6 Z0 .7 Z7 1 65266 6 e6 44 2206 327 1 J01;

@1 6 5% ZZWZ' J. WILLMANN.

HOMOGENIZER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21, 1912.

Patented Aug. 12, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

. r A w i z M \N% M U M M M 7&5266566 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH WILLMANN, 0F DERBY, CONNECTICUT.

HOMQGENIZER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 12,1913.

Application filed J'une 21', 1912. Serial No. 7o5, 147.'

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that L-Josnrrr WILLMANN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Derby, in the county ofNew Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Homogenizers, of which the=following is a specifi- Another object'of the invention is to pro-- vide an improved apparatus of this character which enables the homogenizing elenients thereof to be readily=exposed for inspection while the'apparatus' is in operative condition and a li'quidis' being forced between the elements, thereby enabling the operator to determine precisely the working condition of the apparatus Further objects of the invention vare to provide an improved construction for the members which cooperate witht'hahomogenizing elements whereby such elements are accurately held rigidly in fixed operative re lat-ion and the surfaces with which such elements cooperate may be accurately ground one againstthe other, and to provide-an improved thrust plug and removable bushing with which the' screw portion of the plug engages, facilitating the manufacture of these parts and enabling them to be removed readily when necessary.

To these and'other ends, the invention consists'in certain improvements, and combinations and arrangements of parts, all as will behereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out. particularly in the claims at theend of the specification. i

I Inthe accompanying drawing :F igure 1 represents'a central longitudinal section of a hbmogenizer constructed in accordance with showing the collecting dome or hood ad the present invention; Fig. 2 represents an enlarged section of the upper portion of the -homogenizing elements of the apparatus justed to expose the homogenizing elements for inspection; Fig. 3 represents an enlarged transverse sectionthroughthe'device on the line 33 of F igl 1; 'Figs. 4 and 5 are perspective views of homogenizing elements or disks adapted to be used in connection with a homogenize'r embodying the present inventlon.

Similar parts are designated by the same reference-characters in the severalviews.

"The present invention is applicable gentally to homogenizers of different types, the pumps which supply the liquid or substances under .certain='pressure being shown diagrammatically and may be-of any suitable construction, andthe accompanying drawing shows one specific embodiment of theimproved apparatus which will be hereinafter described in detail. It Will be understood, however, that the invention-is not limited to the-particular construction shown and described, as modifications and changes may be made within the scope of the invention.

*In' the present instance, 1 designates the liquid receiveror manifold which receives the 'liquid' or'substancesto bet-reated continuously by the action of the-pumps 2, any

suitable number of which may be employed,

the homogenizer embodying the present invention b eing'coupled to the flange 3 on the end'of the-manifold or receiver.- The'homogenizer embodying'the present invention comprises a casing 4 having a coupling flange 5-w'hich is bolted or otherwise secured to "the 'complemental flange" 3 on the manifold-,and the casing has an inlet passage 6 through which the liquid or substance to be treated flows from the manifold and into a chamber 7 in the casing. A bushing S is removably fitted into one end of" the casing 4,-this bushing in thepresent instance embodying a sleeve which fits into a chamber formed forits reception in the casing and it has a flange 9 whichis secured by bolts 10 or equivalent means to a flange 11 on the respective end of the casing. To prevent leakage of liquid past the bushing, the latter may-be formed with a circular rib 12 to fit into acorresponding groove 13 in the re spective endof the-casing, and a gasket or packing ring 14 may be fitted int-he groove to form a tight joint. Theinterior of the sleeve ortion of the bushing is threaded as shown at 15 and the bottom of the bushing is preferably provided with an opening 16 for the discharge of water or other material during washing or cleaning of the apparatus, this opening, however, being closed during the operation of the apparatus by a screw plug or equivalent device 17.

According to the present invention, a plurality of homogenizing elements 18 are employed which are positively held in fixed relation and form a number of very small openings through which the liquid to be homogenized is forced at high pressure, the liquid being thereby subdivided into a. num' ber of relatively minute streamswhich pass bet-ween the surfaces of the homogenizing elements at sufficiently high velocity to cause an intimate mixing of the constituents of the liquid, and in the homogenizing of milk and cream, the fat globules are disintegrated or broken up and become homogeneous with the watery part of the milk. Diflerent means may be provided for positively and firmly holding the homoge.

nizing elements in proper fixed relation during the homogenizing operation, a plug 19 being preferably employed which has a threaded end 20 which cooperates with the threaded portion 15 of the removable bushing 8, and the upper portion of this plug is enlarged as at 21 so as to fit the chamber 7 of the casing, the enlarged portion of the plug, however, being grooved or fluted to form axially extending passages 22 which serve to conduct. the liquid from the inlet of the casing to the homogenizing elements. This enlarged portion of the plug also serves to center the homogenizing elements in the form of a pile or stack, the pile or stack of homogenizing elements being supported at one end by a seat which is referably composed of a ring 23 of hard non-corrosive metal which is seated in a groove in the respective end of the casing while the opposite end of the stack or pile of homogenizing elements is engaged by a seat which is formed by a shoulder or collar 24: on the plug, the surfaces 25 and 26 provided by the parts 23 and 24 being opposed, and to insure perfect results, they must be ground accurately one against the other. The grinding of these surfaces may, according to the present invention, be effected with facility, the stack of homogenizing elements and the bushing 8 being removed, thus allowing the plug to descend in the casing so as to bring the surfaces 25 and 26 into contact, thereby rotating the plug, and while these surfaces are in contact and supplied with a suitable grinding substance, a perfect relation of these surfaces can be readily obtained. -During the grinding of these surfaces, the fluted or grooved enlarged portion 21 of the plug serves as a centering means for the plug owing to its fit in the chamber 7 of the casing.

It will be observed that the liquid to be away. the homogenized liquid projected from the homogenizing elements, a collecting device preferably in the form of a dome or hood 27 is provided, this dome or hood having a stuffing box 28 which fits the upper end of the stem 19 and its lower end forms a liquidtight joint with the top of the easing, a flange 29 being formed on the lower edge of the dome or hood in the present instance and the respective end of the casing is formed with a flange 30 which receives the flange 29, conical surfaces being preferably used as shown to insure a proper fit of these parts, and a nut 31 having handles 32 for manipulation thereof is threaded on the flange 30 of the casing and cooperates with the flange 29 of the dome or hood, thereby providing means for securing the dome or hood in operative position, the liquid being collected within the hood and discharged through the outlet port or passage 33. By unfastening the nut 31 and raising the dome or hood on the plug 19, it is evident that the homogenizing elements are exposed for inspection and the condition thereof can be readily determined upon observation of the streams of liquid issuing from between them.

Homogenizing apparatus of the character described is capable of operating with homogenizing elements of different kinds. In Fig. 4:, one type of homogenizing element is shown which has proven satisfactory, each element embodying a ring or disk having plane smooth surfaces of narrow radial extent 34 on the upper and lower sides there of while the inner portions of the disk are reduced and are of conical or tapered form to present bevel or divergent surfaces 35. The uppermost and lowermost elements, however, have the homogenizing surface 34 and the beveled surface 35 only at one side, the other side of these elements being fiat as at 36 to fit properly against the surfaces 25 and 26. Homogenizing elements such as shown in Fig. 5 may also be used wherein each element embodies a disk having sets of circumferentially spaced radial grooves 37 and 38 arranged in staggeredrelation and a connecting circumferential groove 39, these grooves being formed in the plane surfaces at opposite sides of the disks and serving to subdivide the liquid into numerous minute streams which it has been found operate to thoroughly and efliciently homogenize milk and cream. Byrotating the plug by the aid of a hand-wheel or wrench applied to the squared end thereof,

the homogenizing elements can be readily adjusted relatively toward or from one another to produce the desired homogenizing pressure of the liquid, and such pressure when produced will be maintained owing to the rigid construction provided.

I claim as my invention 1. A homogenizing device embodying a casing having means for receiving liquid at homogenizing pressure, homogenizing elements located exteriorly of said casing and between which such liquid is to be forced, and means for maintaining the homogeniz ing elements in fixed cooperative relation embodying a plug having means for conducting the liquid from the casing to the interior of said elements, and a part re movably related to the casing and cooperative with the plug to sustain the thrust thereof.

2. A homogenizing device embodying a casing having means for receiving liquid at homogenizing pressure, homogenizing elements located exteriorlyof the casing and between which such liquid is to; be forced, and means for maintaining the homogenizing elements in cooperative relation embodying a plug extending axially through said elements, and a bushing removably fitted in said casing and adjustably connected to said plug.

3. A homogenizing device embodying a casing having means for receiving liquid at homogenizing pressure, homogenizing elements located exteriorly and seated at one end of the casing and between which suchliquid is to be forced, a plug extending into the casing and cooperative with said homogenizing elements, and a bushing removably applied to the opposite end of the casing and adjustably connected to saidplug.

homogenizing pressure, a seat on the casing,

homogenizing elements cooperative with homogenizing pressure, and a set of hollow homogenizing elements between which the liquid is to be forced and forming an interior passage to receive the liquid at homoge nizing pressure from said passage in the casing. 8. A homogenizing device embodying a casing having a passage to. conduct a liquid at .homogenizing pressure, a set of superposed homogenizing elements having an interior passage to receive liquid at homogenizing pressure from saidicasing and between which such liquid is forced outwardly, and means for collecting the homogenized liquid exteriorly of the homogenizing element 9. A homogenizing device embodying a casing having a passage to conduct a liquid at homogenizing pressure, a set of superposed homogenizing elements having an interior passage to receive liquid at homogenizing pressure from said casing and be tween which such liquid is forced outwardly, and a collecting "hood adapted to inclose the homogenizing elements and movable to expose such elements for inspection. .10. A homogenizing device embodying a casing having a passage to conduct a liquid at homogenizing pressure, aiset of superposed homogenizing elements aving an interior passage to receive liquid athomogenizing pressure from said casing and between which such liquid is forced outwardly, a plug cooperative with said elements to maintain them in cooperative relation, a collecting hood fitted on said plug and adapted to, inclose said homogenizing elements, and means for securing said hood to the casing.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH wILLM NN.

Witnesses FLORENCE K. WA'rsoN, HOWARD PEoK. 

